#302: Shikinen Sengu (Semiweekly-pedia of Japan)

#302: Shikinen Sengu (category: traditional ritual)

Shikinen Sengu is a Japanese traditional ritual, in which people transfer a prestigious shrine to the place next to the current position in order to keep the purity of the building. In case of Ise Jingu (refer to #300 and #301), this ritual is conducted every 20 years.

The Japanese word "shikinen" is "designated year" in English and "sengu" is "transferring shrines", respectively. So, "shikinen sengu" literally means "transferring shrines in a designated year".